HC Deb 27 January 2004 vol 417 cc338-41W
Paul Holmes

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals against benefit decisions were(a) heard and (b) decided in the appellant's favour in the last 12 months, broken down by benefit; and if he will make a statement. [147814]

Maria Eagle

This is a matter Christina Townsend Chief Executive of the Appeals Service. She will reply to the hon. Member.

Letter from Christina Townsend to Mr. Paul Holmes, dated 27 January 2004: The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question regarding how many appeals against benefit decisions were (a) heard and (b) decided in the appellant's favour in the last 12 months broken down by benefit. The attached table shows the figures for the period December 2002-November 2003. I hope this reply is helpful

Number and Percentage of Appeals found in favour of the Appellant by benefit: December 2002 to November 2003
Benefit Caseload Cleared at Hearing Found in Favour %found in Favour
Child Support departures appeal .. 960 345 35.9%
Child Support departures referral .. 180 105 58.3%
Child Support Reforms .. - - ,
Child Tax Credit 44,220,700 70 - 0.0%
COEG .. 10 - 0.0%
Compensation Recovery Unit .. 1,275 985 77.3%
Council Tax Benefit 54,657,400 655 170 26.0%
Disability Living Allowance 62,526,700 69,695 36,975 53.1%
Disability Working Allowance .. 5 0.0%
Disabled Person's Tax Credit .. 90 20 22.2%
Home Responsibility Protection .. 20 0.0%
Housing/Council Tax Benefit .. 2,365 775 32,8%
Housing Benefit 73,807,700 2,205 675 30.6%
Incapacity Benefit 82,400,500 , , ,
Incapacity Benefit (Personal Capability Assessment) .. 41,570 20,130 48.4%
Incapacity Benefit (not Personal Capability Assessment) .. 4,685 1,830 39.1%
Personal Capability Assessment (not incapacity benefit) .. 560 240 42.9%
Income Support 94,015.700 12,355 4,260 34.5%
Industrial Death Benefit 1011,900 5 0.0%
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit 11343,000 14,975 5,825 38.9%
Carer's Allowance 12414,200 760 120 15.8%
Jobseeker's Allowance 13911,300 7,625 2,175 28.5%
Lookalikes .. 5 5 100.0%
Maternity Allowance 1424,300 85 10 11.8%
Not Known .. 45 10 22.2%
Others (extinct/rare benefits) .. 835 180 21.6%
State Pension 1511,266,100 1,015 105 10.3%
Severe Disablement Allowance 16315,300 475 235 49.5%
Social Fund—Funeral Payments 1770,000 1,735 300 17.3%
Social Fund—Sure Start Maternity Grants (formerly Maternity Payments) 18289,000 510 55 10.8%
Vaccine damage appeals tribunals .. 40 5 12.5%
Widow's Benefit/Bereavement Benefit 19240,500 825 90 10.9%
Working Families Tax Credit .. 1,020 200 19.6%
Working Tax Credit 201,705,500 10 0.0%

Appeals Figures Notes:

All figures are subject to change as more up to date data becomes available. Figures for the latest months may rise significantly as information feeds through to the Appeals Service.

Figures are rounded to the nearest five.

"-" denotes nil or negligible.

"," Denotes not applicable.

*Benefit caseload refers to the number of people "on benefit" at the given time in the footnotes for each benefit. Despite this there are footnotes for some benefits such as funeral payments that are one off grants thus are not constantly claimed.

Source:

100% download of the Generic Appeals Processing System.

Benefit Figures Notes:

Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred, except where noted.

"," Denotes not applicable.

".."Denotes not available.

Source:

IAD Information Centre, 5% Samples, except where noted.

1As of Aug 2003

2As of Aug 2003. Data supplied is that of No of families Appealing.

3As of Aug 2003. Total number of live and assessed cases. Up to 200,000 cases are missing due to transferral to new system.

4As of Oct 2003. 10% sample.

5As of Aug 2003. 100% sample.

6As of Aug 2003.

7As of Aug 2003. 100% sample.

8As of Aug 2003.

9As of Aug 2003. Caseload includes both Working Age and Pension Credit claimants.

10As of Sep 2003. 100% sample.

11As of Jun 2003. 10% sample.

12As of Feb 2003. Cases in payment. 100% sample.

13As of Aug 2003

14As of Aug 2003

15As of Mar 2003

16As of Aug 2003

17Figures are claims for financial year—April 2002 to March 2003. Claims are expressed to the nearest thousand. Data source: Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.

18Figures are claims for financial year—April 2002 to March 2003. Claims are expressed to the nearest thousand. Data Source: Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.

19As of Mar 2003.

20As of Oct 2003. Figures for benefits which no longer exist have been excluded. 10% sample.